Cycle almost finished!! How many fish to add first?

[Mikon77]

Hello! My first tank (a 20 gallon high) is almost cycled!!! | started a fishless cycle about 2 weeks ago using Doctor Tim's One and Only and their ammonia as well. I had about 4-5 ppm of ammonia on Monday, and it's now at .25. My nitrite is still high at 2.0, and my nitrate is at 10pm. My ph has been stable at 7.8 throughout the whole process.

I know it's still not fully cycled, but it's nice to see it taking off! I've been planning ahead as to what fish to add first, but I'm pretty lost. I've heard you need to add fish a little bit at a time, but what about schooling fish? I plan on keeping 8-10 black neon tetras or 8-10 harlequin rasboras (if they do well in a 20 gallon high, I keep seeing mixed answers online). Would you add half of their preferred schooling amount? Wouldn't they be unhappy being in a small starting school? I also plan to add a centerpiece fish like a gourami and some amano shrimp at a later time after the smaller fish get settled.

Here is a pic of my tank now. I currently have 3 different Java Ferns and a sword planted. I also added some Frogbit yesterday (will be building a corral for them today to prevent my filter from bullying them). I'll probably be adding another plant when I add my first fish.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[face]

If it was me I’d add 1 full school at a time just watch your ammonia and nitrite but it would probably be fine  just feed them lightly at first 

[Mikon77]

On 4/5/2024 at 10:29 AM, face said:

If it was me I’d add 1 full school at a time just watch your ammonia and nitrite but it would probably be fine  just feed them lightly at first 

Ok awesome! I just wasn’t sure how the slow stocking rule applied to schooling fish. 

Do you think a school of either black neon tetras or harlequin rasboras would do fine in a 20 gallon high? I saw the other day that a 20 gallon long is better, but it’s a little late now.

[macdaddy36]

I used to have 8 harlequins in my 20 high. They were the first fish I ever got (i still have them, just in a different tank). I started with 5 and got 3 more later.

[lefty o]

id start with 6. you can add more in a week or two if things continue to go well.

[Lennie]

Ammonia reading of  5 and dropping to 0.25 while you are reading only 10 nitrate and 2 nitrite sounds a bit... weird. I would expect much higher nitrite and/or nitrate readings when you start with that high ammonia. Are you sure you are testing correctly?

Also nitrite to nitrate phase usually takes longer in my experience

[Mikon77]

On 4/5/2024 at 10:55 AM, macdaddy36 said:

I used to have 8 harlequins in my 20 high. They were the first fish I ever got (i still have them, just in a different tank). I started with 5 and got 3 more later.

 

On 4/5/2024 at 10:59 AM, lefty o said:

id start with 6. you can add more in a week or two if things continue to go well.

Ok, I probably do this to be safe. I’ll probably get 5 or so then the rest later. Thanks!

On 4/5/2024 at 11:13 AM, Lennie said:

Ammonia reading of  5 and dropping to 0.25 while you are reading only 10 nitrate and 2 nitrite sounds a bit... weird. I would expect much higher nitrite and/or nitrate readings when you start with that high ammonia. Are you sure you are testing correctly?

Also nitrite to nitrate phase usually takes longer in my experience

I’m pretty sure I’m testing correctly. The nitrite has been at 2 since Tuesday I think. I just noticed nitrates on Wednesday.